Derrick Parker, a former detective with the NYPD who gained notoriety as the “Hip-Hop Cop” during the rap explosion of the 1990s, has passed away at the age of 65.

His brother, Ralph, confirmed to News Media that Derrick passed away unexpectedly on July 24 at a hospital in Nassau County, New York. The cause of his death remains undisclosed.

A funeral service is planned for Thursday at J Foster Phillips Funeral Home located in Jamaica, New York.

In the bustling 1990s, Derrick J. Parker led the NYPD’s rap intelligence unit during a time when New York City’s hip-hop scene saw a meteoric rise. He kept tabs on famous artists and their entourages visiting the city. He often shared his insights and techniques for curbing music industry violence with law enforcement agencies in cities like Miami and Atlanta.

He also served as a homicide and cold case detective during a career that spanned more than 20 years and worked alongside the US Marshals, the ATF, the DEA and the FBI, according to his website.

“You have to watch and see who’s coming to your city. Who’s there and who’s what,” he told News Media in a 2024 interview. “We can’t track everybody, but when certain people come to the city, you should know who, especially certain people that are on your radar. That’s the way I look at it.”

Much of the job, he said, involved keeping law enforcement and nightclub management aware of who was going where in order to avoid potential confrontations between rival groups.

He played a role in the 1999 investigation into the Club New York shooting where music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs was charged but later acquitted. Pop superstar Jennifer Lopez was also briefly detained and released.

Parker said his approach to policing the hip-hop world wasn’t to come down hard on its stars.

“I was the law, so he was always friendly,” he later said of Combs. “I’m never hard on these guys. They know what they get into. They know what trouble they have.”

Parker wrote a book about his experiences, “Notorious C.O.P.: The Inside Story of the Tupac, Biggie and Jam Master Jay Investigations from the NYPD’s First ‘Hip-Hop Cop.'” The book chronicled his involvement in investigations surrounding three of hip-hop’s most notorious killings: Tupac Shakur, Christopher Wallace, who performed as the Notorious B.I.G. and Jam Master Jay, the Run-DMC DJ whose real name was Jason Mizell.

It would be decades before Mizell’s killers went on trial. Parker was on the witness stand.

After Parker retired from the NYPD in 2002, he worked in security for large events and executive protection applying the same philosophy of knowing who would be going where to avoid conflicts.

He also became a frequent media commentator on high-profile cases involving figures and venues he had encountered during his NYPD career, including Combs’ sex-trafficking trial last year and even the wedding between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce at Madison Square Garden.

He had also told News Media that he hoped to write a follow-up book.

“I want to really tell a big, big story about a lot of stuff,” he said.

Days before his death, he said he was closely following the Las Vegas murder case against Duane “Keffe D” Davis, who is charged with playing a role in Tupac Shakur’s 1996 murder. Jury selection began Monday.

“We were supposed to go out to dinner for my birthday,” Ralph Parker told News Media. “He’s like, ‘Oh, we’re gonna go out and eat. Your birthday’s coming, don’t worry about it.’ Well, I won’t be able to go eat with him.”

In an unforgettable twist, a California couple’s wedding transformed into a once-in-a-lifetime event when none other than country music sensation Shaboozey made an unexpected appearance, drifting serenely along the Owens River.

K. Rose Events, a well-known wedding planning service in Southern California, captured this astonishing moment on video and shared it via Instagram. The footage features the delighted couple posing for some photos beside the picturesque river.

As the couple exchanged vows, 31-year-old artist Shaboozey, whose real name is Collins Obinna Chibueze, casually floated by on an innertube. He was part of The Wooly Run, a relaxing camping and tubing trip that coincided serendipitously with the wedding.

With a joyful spirit, the singer, sporting a trucker’s hat and enjoying a canned drink, smiled and waved at the camera, marking a memorable highlight for the ceremony.

As the rest of Shaboozey’s group floated past, they cheered and celebrated as the couple sealed their vows with a kiss. The wedding planner emphasized, “Not a styled shoot. Not a setup. This actually happened,” bringing a touch of spontaneity and joy to the day.

“Mid-ceremony in Mammoth Lakes, CA — vows under the Sierra peaks, granite + sage as far as you can see — and Shaboozey makes a cameo coming down the river,” the wedding planner’s post read.

“The bride’s face says it all. The groom couldn’t stop laughing. Even I lost it for a second,” the post added.

“This is why you get married in the Eastern Sierra. This is why you hire a Southern California wedding planner who knows Mammoth venues and permits like the back of their hand. Because when magic happens, you want a team that can roll with it and keep your timeline perfect,” the post continued.

“Mammoth weddings = unpredictable, unforgettable, unreal. Save this if you want a wedding story no one will believe,” the caption concluded.

Shaboozey even commented on the post, stating, “CONGRATULATIONS! From Shabozzey and @thewoollyrun !!”

The video went viral, with over 12 million views and over 585K likes in just over a day since it was posted.

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters

The 2026 Wooly Run took place from August 5-9, described on the official website as a trip, “designed for like-minded folks who love motorsports, the outdoors, and slowing things down enough to actually enjoy it.”

The trip begins with, “a night camping in the Alabama Hills, surrounded by raw desert landscapes and massive granite backdrops.”

Then the trip moves on for, “three nights along the Owens River in Mammoth at a designated campsite that becomes home base for the weekend.”

Shaboozey posted pics from the trip on his own Instagram on Tuesday, though he didn’t mention the wedding incident in his post.

The singer just released his fourth studio album, “The Outlaw Cherie Lee & Other Western Tales” on July 31, which features guest appearances from Jamie Foxx, Gunna, Teyana Taylor, Kehlani, Sam Elliot and Orville Peck.

He has described it as a “concept album” that he co-created with Xaivia Inniss, which tells the story of a fictional outlaw named Cherie Lee and her quest for revenge.

Pat McAfee, a notable figure from ESPN, has found himself at the center of controversy after being seen alongside former President Donald Trump at the inaugural Patriot Games this past Tuesday.

The Patriot Games, an athletic event for high schoolers conceived by Trump, wrapped up its first run in Ohio on Tuesday night, coinciding with Trump’s highly anticipated appearance.

Accompanied by McAfee, a former NFL star, and several student athletes, Trump made a dramatic entrance into the arena at SPIRE Academy in Geneva, Ohio.

The crowd erupted into cheers, punctuated by pyrotechnics, as Trump took the center stage, acknowledging the attendees with a wave.

Once the excitement settled, Trump settled in beside McAfee, who contrasted sharply with the former President’s formal attire, wearing a casual black t-shirt, jeans, and a baseball cap turned backwards.

Earlier in the afternoon, McAfee had greeted Trump on the tarmac as Air Force One touched down in Ohio before traveling with the Commander-in-Chief for the competition. 

The cozy outing came after the former-NFL-punter-turned-broadcaster has repeatedly declared that he is ‘not a political person’ and has urged other sportscaster to ‘stick to sports’ on numerous occasions. 

His proximity to Trump on Tuesday sparked outrage from many sports fans, who viewed the appearance a hypocritical and contradictory to his previous public comments on politics. 

‘Good to know he’s a spineless POS like the rest of them,’ one social media user wrote on X. 

”I’m not a politics person.’ Also Pat MAGAfee,’ another posted, responding to a clip of McAfee’s interaction with Trump. 

‘You are judged by the company you keep,’ claimed a third, while a fourth shared, ‘@PatMcAfeeShow Is cringe…Hanging out with the coward CateringCart man.’ 

‘Let’s fire good analysts from ESPN like Ryan Clark, and instead give $60 mill a year to MAGA bootlickers like Pat McAfee,’ wrote another referring to former NFL star Clark who was recently let go by ESPN and McAfee’s alleged contract. 

They added: ‘So much for him ‘not being political.”

Another posted: ‘And he’s gonna respond to the backlash by spinning it into something patriotic and how it’s an honor to sit next to the president f***  @PatMcAfeeShow.’ 

Organized through the Trump-backed Freedom 250 organization, the Patriot Games were held from August 9 to August 11. 

The event brought together 120 teen athletes from ages 14 to 17 with one male and one female athlete representing each US state, plus participants from territories and tribal nations. 

Only one male and one female will be able to win the competition, coming away with $125,000 in scholarship money each.

Events in the competition included dodgeball, kickball, tug of war, and victory hoops as well as the presidential fitness test. 

Following the conclusion of the event, McAfee wrote on X: ‘Had a BLAST celebrating high schoolers from across the country with the Heads of Disney, ABC, ESPN, and… The United States Of America

‘I’m proud of all parties getting behind this important initiative to keep future generations excited about remaining active.

‘Cheers to the incredible contestants and to next year’s Patriot Games.’

McAfee has repeatedly made his desire to keep politics out of sports, stating following the assassination of Charlie Kirk that he is ‘not a politics person.’ 

He added: ‘I’ve been thrown into the political world a couple of times by my own mistakes, but also because of my own opinions. It’s a blender over there.’

McAfee, the host of his self-eponymous show on ESPN, sparked backlash for interviewing Trump on the program during an ESPN Veterans Day broadcast in 2025.

During his appearance, Trump told McAfee that he only appeared on his show ‘because I hear you say such nice things about me.’ 

McAfee, who said he had also extended an invitation to former President Barack Obama which ultimately fell through, defended himself from the criticism at the time. 

‘In my eyes he’s the leader of the military and we were celebrating the hell out of Veteran’s Day,’ McAfee said in a later talk show appearance, referring to Trump. 

In a heart-wrenching event last Thursday, a 4-year-old in Kansas succumbed to a “tragic accident” involving a clothes dryer, local authorities have reported.

The unfortunate incident unfolded in the small town of Savonburg as the child was “playing” at home, according to a Saturday statement from the Allen County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO).

Authorities have disclosed that the child “allegedly received an electrical shock from a 220v dryer,” highlighting the perilous nature of the common household appliance.

Reports indicate that the child’s parents desperately transported their unconscious child to a nearby hospital at around 9:30 p.m. as they struggled to save their young one.

However, the child was later pronounced dead at the hospital.

No foul play is suspected at this time, and the ACSO is investigating the incident.

Officials extended their condolences to the family and responders involved following the incident.

“The Sheriff’s Office extends our heartfelt condolences to the family members and all those affected by this tragedy, including the Allen County dispatchers, first responders, and hospital personnel,” the office said.

A 220-volt electrical current, which was involved in Thursday’s accident, can cause serious injury or death, including cardiac arrest.

While clothes dryers have been linked to thousands of home fires annually, primarily caused by lint buildup blocking exhaust ducts or overheating electrical elements, electrical deaths involving major laundry appliances are considered extremely rare.

In one of the rare instances, a 10-year-old boy was found dead inside a dryer at a Houston-area apartment complex in 2018, according to Fox 5 DC. 

A medical examiner determined the boy had been electrocuted, while investigators found no signs of injury or foul play. 

The death was ruled accidental.